The Leadership Challenge; ROI vs ROE (Not Equity, But Ego) …

A while ago Dr. Harvey Schiller was talking about how the most successful business grow. The people at the top do drive culture and results, but sometimes even more important was the ability to be selfless and let the success speak for itself.

There is a big difference between ROI…what we know as Return on Investment…and ROE…Return on Ego.

The delta between the two is where massive success can fall, Dr. Schiller added.

We see this all the time…investments with big names battle to see who is listed first, like a movie credit. Leaders who can waste money on tributes or business that might not make sense or are not properly explained in internal communications and that, in turn, causes chaos and angst for those on the front lines. Then there is the “no” business that we seem to gravitate to more and more.

Gatekeepers first answer to inquiries is “no,” and anything else is a pleasant surprise. Why? Because it’s a lot easier to limit exposure, to make sure that ego’s are fed, than to build trust with the most senior of leadership.

Now this is of course not always the case. There are great organizations that look for opportunities in cause marketing and social responsibility, that over extend and share the exposure and then reap the benefits of cultivating the next generation of leaders, and even leaders that will ask who they should be talking to that are new and different and will shape the future with new voices and new platforms.   

Curiosity leads to an even bigger ROI, and the ROE is downplayed.

It would be silly to think we don’t all have egos and crave attention for good work. We can’t always be selfless. However what we can be, and what Dr. Schiller pointed out, is selfish in a way that we want to build the tree for others to get the credit when we are in positions of senior leadership. Build the fodder to make the torch burn brighter with new branches. That type of selfless leadership actually leads to more credit, more exposure and a better culture of growth.

It’s not easy to do, but if you look to the boldest and the brightest, it has been critical for their long term success as individuals and leaders.

Investment over ego. Everyone wins.